Elastic-fluid turbine.



No. 841,254` PATENTED JAN. l5, 1907 0. JUNGGREN. ELASTIC FLUD TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. 1905.

M In 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l Il

mventor: Oscar Junggrn,

.M .MMM/my PATENTED JAN.. 15, 1907.

0. JUNGGREN.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE.

'lnventowf OscarJunggren By Atty y Witnesses of F @am @MWL f srafrs A rn' risica.

OSCAR JUNGGREN, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEN- ERAL ELECTRIC' QOMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELAsTlC-FLulD TURBINE.

`: Specification yof Letters Patent.

Patented J' an. 15, 1907.

. citizenA of they United States, l ,residing at Schenectady, ccuntyfof Schen'ectadyf,v Statef lof 'New work,haveinvented .certain newand useful- Improvements'` Elastic-Fluid `Turbines, of which the followingis'a'specification. i `The present invention'has for its object tov improve the efficiency'of"elastic-fluid turbines, and especially byoveremingor largely reducing the lossescaused by the action of the motive-'fluid afterit'is exhaustedfrom one wheel and before it .enters the nozzles of the next stage of lower pressuref v In carrying out the invention a suitable casing is provided across which extend diaphragms orwalls that divide it into compartments or stages. TheV casing is provided withinternal shoulders that receive and support the diaphragme. Carried by these shoulders and also bythe head of the machine are suitable nozzles or devices for discharging motive fluid against the wheel-buckets. Mounted on the shaft and revolving in the stages or compartments are wheels, each carrying one or more rows of peripheral buckets.

I have discovered that between the exhaust side of the wheel in any given stage and the adjacent nozzles or other devices receiving motive fluid therefrom there should be a substantial space in order 4to prevent a choking. or retarding effect on the motive fluid which followswhen the parts are close together. I have also discovered that where the wheel is located in a compartment with a relatively large free space aroundv it the rotation offthe wheel produces objectionable eddy-currents,

resulting in losses. This is due largely tothe fact that the idle rotating buckets exert a fanlike action.

' body of fluid in thechamber also results in a loss. Again,these eddy-currents tend to dis- A nozzles. These chambers may extend over only a limited arc, if desired; but l prefer to have them extend entirely around the wheel.

The skin-friction between the TheL entrance tothe chamber may with advantage ybe 1in the form of a circumferential throator slot which is of substantially the -r same Width as the fluid column discharged by thewhe'el l. Ait a point lbeyond the throat the annularA chamber l'enlalges rapidly vand .is ofv sufficientisize to freelyreceive all of the steam, 'erpialize the .pressures of the different streams 'w ien the preceding bucket-wheel is fed by two or more nozzles or sets of nozzles, and equalize the pressure of and feed the various nozzles of lower pressureconnected therewith. wing to the construction of the re- 'Vceiving-.chambera the steam contained therein is cutofic from the effects of the rotating Wheel, and hence the rotation losses are reduced. f

lThe receiving-chambers may be formed between the internal shoulder on the casing and one or more detachable pieces or they maybe cored, out of the casting itself. The.

particular construction can be widely varied. The wall of the receiving-chamber adjacent to the bucket-wheel in addition to functioning as such assists in cutting down rotation losses due to the fan-like action of the idle buckets by presenting a smooth flat surface tothe ed es thereof. This last statement applies on y when the active buckets occupy less than the entire circumference. These `Walls are located in close proximity to the .ring-like supports on the wheels to which the buckets are secured. Hence they cooperate with said supports to prevent the steam' from passing ,freely into that portion of the wheel-compartment immediately surrounding the shaft. In other words, they prevent heavy-cross-currents of steam from flowing at right an les 15o/the shaft vbetween the wheels and lt e diaphragms..

" Another and important feature of my invention resides in the fact'that by the use of the internal should ersrandreceiving-chamb ers the nozzles in the low-'pressurestages can'be arranged to deliver fluid to the entire bucket circumference, and this without: unduly weakening the parts ormaking theml coniplicated, `which has been the great objectioiA "The arrangement describedl lends itselfparticularly well to those machines having IOO IOS

sures" constant, orl subst:arditi-ally."'lhefly valves may withadvantageb'egm unt I-1 casings that are boL @o th'e-wheelicas'ng yso that they maybe? d 4the valves are connectedon the inletsideto the receiving-chambers-'andfon'ythe "outlet "side to an auxiliary nozzle-for nozzles,.`the

l tweenl two, three, four, or more, depending upon the character of the turbine and the 'total'nuinber of'stages. "The valves .are sov constructed that they eXposea greater area when open than when seated, theobject ze1 being to prevent the valvesfrom chattering.

Each valveis provided with an indicator, which shows at all times its position and eny Avables .the attendant to detect at once IIany 1 irregularity or failure in operation.` 'The `A',valves in each stage are preferably so arranged that they open successively, since by so doing a more nearly even pressure willbe maintained in the -several stages. l The annular walls/forming the receiving- 3o chambers are separated from the -sides ofthe Arings or se ments thereof forming the bases ofthe bue -ets'by Aclearances which are sbstantially .the same as the clearancesqbetween the moving and stationary buckets.

'3'52 Byjpreference theclearances at these points are slightly less than the bucket clearances,

so that any rubbing which may take place,l -:lue to distortion or accident, will occur on parts of substantial size and rugged con- 4o struction.

' I n the accompanying drawings, whichy illustrate one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a quarter-section of a verticalshaft'turbine of the Curtis type; Fig. 2 is a sectional'view taken on line 2 2 .of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view showin' a modified arrangement of one .of the annual' -chambers `which receives the motive iluid exhausted from a bucket-wheel. Fig. 4 is a 5 0. detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a pressure-actuated Istage-valve. Fig. 5 is 'a sectional view of av low-pressure stage, showing a complete range of'nozzles; and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the passages leading from thel stage-vaLves.

1 represents the casing of. the turbine, which is supportedby a base 2 ,that contains an exhaust-chamber 3, the latter being connected to atmosphere or a condenser, as de-.

6o sired. 'The`turbjin-e illustrated is intended for atmospheric exhaust.

4 represents the top or head of the machine, which .igbeltad to the casing. f

The interior of the casing isdivided into 65, stages b y diaphragmsf). These diaphragms ilyeassenibled and; 5. removed. The .arrangement offtljhe j parts :isf such that the portsor passages controlled byj` .10, the upper endv of which is shown.l The rows of wheel-'bucketsare rows of intermedi- --in character.

.flaremade something-smaller in diameter than.

lie-@wheels iiijjorder-to reduce the. strains hereon. vThey are supportedat the periph- --iergr.-byshoulders.- thatjare cast integral-With .the casing.' @he casing is made up of a numberof sections `whi'clia're securely bolted to-v gether, theplare of divisionbetween the sections axial. By means-of this arrangel ment-one of' the sections can? be removed vwithout 'interferingwith 'the others. Lo- 5 :cated 'in -eachsta'ge or compartment is, a y

wheel 7,- vprovided with rows of buckets 8. The wheels are. mounted onv aver-tical shaft 9, the latterbeing supportedby a' step-bearing shaft'fextends upward through an opening in `the Vhead 2 and ,isprovided' with carbon packing-rings -11 for 'preventing the escape of Asteam v:or other elastic fluid. Between'the .8: ate buckets 12'. These vbuelnlJtsare mounted uponl a supplort whichis L-shaped in crosssection. T e sup ort; is located 1n an inter-.1

nal groove in the `w eel-casing'andisretained in place by boltsw'hi'ch arefv accessible 4from the insidejof the-wheel-c'a'sing.

- Steam or other4 elastic `iuidiisdelivered t'o.-v the bucket-wheels by sectionalized f nozzles, which may vbe; 'expanding or non-expanding The. admissi.on-nozzles v'1 3. `are bolted to ythe head 4 and the stage-'nozzles are bolted to the internal shoulders 6. The motive fluid is admitted to'the 'turbineby means of separately-actuated-valves 11i. In` A the present instance these valves areflocated -xoo in the chest 15 and are opened and'closed `in response to pressure changes bythe 'istons'j 16 under' the control of a governor. -or the purpose o`f illustration `the ositicnof the admission-valves has been s own as displaced rc 5 y an angle of ninet degrees, so that one section will show bot Athe admission and the stage valves,v In the present machine two valve-chests 15 are provided (only one of which 1s shown) and located at diame'trically` .opposite points.' This means that when the machine isl in operation two columns of .fluid are simultaneously passing through the buckets of the first. wheel.. .Situated directly below the buckets of the first wheel and receiving steam therefrom is an annular chamber 17. This annular -chamber is formed in part bythe shoulder' and .the detachable segmental walls 18. These walls may extend over an are corresponding to a casing-seg'- ment or two or more sections may be provided therefor. Thelatterare bolted to the shoulder and to the inner wall of the casing. These segmental Vwalls are provided with a circumferential slot or opening 19, which forms a throat for the annular chamber 17.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the throat 19 covers the arc corresponding to the casing-section 20. In other words, it cov ers substantially the same-arc as the admission-nozzles.' The arrangement of the` parts is similar onthe opposite side of the machine, and the throat is directly under the valve-chest 15. It is to bevnoted that the segmental walls 21 thatv form part of thel annular chamber between the casing-sections 2O and 22 of the wheel-casing, are not provided with a throat. This is due to the fact that theirst stage-wheel is idle between these two points. In order to prevent or largely reduce ,the fan-like action cf the idle buckets while moving from one column of steam to the other, the segmental walls 21 are provided with .smooth ilat surfaces 23, that are separated from the wheel by small` clearances, preferably about the-same as those between the wheel and intermediate buckets. These walls serve to prevent the buckets from rubbing if for any reason the wheel is distorted or'the step-bearing is improperly set. In other words, the walls of the annular chamber not only act as such, but also to reduce the rotation losses and prevent accidents to the buckets.

The annular chamber 17 is arranged to supply the main second-stage nozzles located directly under it and in line with the valvechests 15. The general arrangement of these parts is the same as that shown in the lower right-hand corner of Fig. 1. The arc covered by the nozzles increases step by step for each stage, and in the lastv stage the nozzle extends entirely around the wheel, so that all of' the buckets are active. In addition to the main nozzlesinth'e second stage are auxiliary lnozzles 24, which are controlled by the presgreater area'for the valve when open than when closed. The space above the v4valve communicates with the annular chamber 17 and the space below with the lpassage 26a,

i that communicates with a small segmental chamber 27, formed in' the internal shoulder 6. The arc covered by this chamber is dependent upon the number ofnozzles to be controlled. This arrangement is best shown,

in Figs. 2 and 6, wherethe staged-valve 28 controls the admission of iluid to the three groups of openingsl 29,'. whi'ch supply they stage-nozzles directly underneath..l Situated directly underneath theropenings 29 is a seg- `mental passage or 'chamber'.29, that equalizes the preszsureof the several streams issuing from the openings and supplies 'steam' to the bowls of ythe auxiliary stage-nozzles 24.,

' The .valve 30,' contained 1n the same casing,

controls the .passage of -fluid to the three properly .y

groups of openings 31, Figs. 2 and 6. These passages!` valves are set by means ofthe springs 32, Fig. 1., to operate successively. The valves f 33, 34, 35, and 36 control `passages leading from the second to the third stage and are arranged to operate successively 1n order to maintain In order to show the position of the stagevalves when the machine is .in operation, each valve is provided with a spindle 37, that extends through a suitable packing carried by the casing. The outer end of this stem is provided with .suitable indicators, and situated adjacent thereto is a pointer 38. By comparing the position of the stem 37 with the pointer the station attendant is able to tellat a glance whether or not. the valves are open or closed or working properly.

In Fig. 3 is shown a slight modiiication, wherein the chamber 17 Ais formed by coring out the internal shoulder 6 on the wheel-casing. This arrangement has ,the advantage or decreasing the amount of machine-work; but it is a somewhat more difficult casting to make. The upper wall of the chamber is located in close proximity to the revolving wheel and performs the same functionas the detachable segmental walls 21, Fig. 2. In order to further decrease the rotation losses of the idle wheel-buckets, a blank wall 39v is provided, forminga continuation of the nozzles in the first stage. Connecting the adjacent ends ofthe segmental rows of intermediates is a blank wall 40, which also assists in decreasing the fan-like action of the idle buckets. These blank Walls are supported in 'the same manner as the intermediate buckets themselves.

When the machine is intended for condensing service, additional stages having the same or different construction are provided. The

number of high pressure stages may be changed to suit the requirements without departing from my invention.

In Fig. 5 is shown in section a stage wherein all of the wheel-buckets are active and the stage-nozzle extends entirely around the vwheel.

The annular chamber for receiving the exhaust from the preceding wheel is provided with a throat, which extends entirely around. 'T he chamber may be formed in the internal shoulder or' formed partly by the sholililder and partly by detachable segmental wa s.

tain the pressure onthe diaphragm and also In either case the shoulder should be provided with ribs of substantial size to sus- IOO IIO

with passages or chambers which serve to supply steamto all of the nozzlec ,ternal shoulder 6.

In Fig. 46 is shown a sectional view, on an enlarged` scale, of the wheel-casing 1 and in'- y The passage 26a'on the right is controlled by the stage-valve 28k and the one on the left by the stage-valve 30. .Thesel `assages supply steam to the openings ple of operation of my invention, together receive the exhaust from the Wheels and sup- 4 with the apparatus which I now consider to r5- represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, isf-A .'1. In an el astic-fluid turbine, the combination of a Wheel having rows of buckets there-, on, a casing having a compartment to rec eive the wheel, intermediate buckets arranged in rows between the wheel-buckets, and a chamber for receiving the motive Huid exhausting from the wheel, the wall of which isy separated from the wheel by a clearance whlch does no t exceed that'of the buckets.

2. An elastic-Huid turbine comprising' a plurality of separate stages each includinga wheel anda' compartment therefor, and nozzles or devices which discharge separate columns of motive'iiuid to the wheel, in combi- 'nation with achamber which receives the columns of fluidy exhausting from the wheel and permits them to equalize, throats for the chamber which conform in shape to the columns, and nozzles or devices which receive the fluid from the chamber and discharge it to a point of lower ressure. l

3. In an elasticluid turbine, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm for dividing it into compartments, a shoulder on the casing which supports the diaphragm, Wheels lo-l catedin the compartments,- devices discharging fluid thereto, and an annular chamber which receives the exhaust from a wheel and :is located within'the casing and surrounds the diaphragm.;

Y .4. In an elastic-.fluid turbine, the combination of a casing, diaphragme for dividing it into compartments, shoulders on the casing which support the diaphragms, bucketwheels located. in the compartments, devices f discharging motive fluid against the buckets,

and chambers located within the casing which ply it to the discharging devices of lower pressure, the said chambers having walls formed by the shoulders.

- 5. In'. an elastic-fluid' turbine, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm for dividing it into compartments, a shoulder on thecasing whichsupports the diaphragm, wheels located in the compartments, devices dischargf ing fluid theretofan annular chamber which receives the exhaust from a wheel, and secrmental detachable pieces which forma Weill for the chamber. g

6. In an elastic-iiuid'turbine, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm for dividing it into compartments, a shoulder on the casing which supports the diaphragm, Wheels located inthe compartments, an annular cham-- ber which receives the exhaust from a Wheel, a wall therefor which is formed by the shoulder, admission nozzles or devices, andlliuiddischarging' devices which are carried'by they shoulder.

7. Inan elastic-duid turbine, the combination of a casing divided into two or mor' stages, each containing a wheel-compartment, bucket-wheels therein, an internal shoulder en the casing, an annular nozzle comprising separate passages which discharge fiuid against the adjacent wheel, and an annular chamber that receives thefluid column or columns from the preceding stage and delivers it 'to the passages of the annular nozzle.

8. In an elastic-Huid turbine, the combination of a casing having an internal shoulder, a dia hragm of less diameter than the bucketwhee s that divides the casing into com artments and .is supported. by the 4'shou der, bucket-Wheels mounted in the compartments, an annular nozzle supported by the shoulder, and an annular chamber locatedin line with the shoulder whichreceives fluid vSe 9. Inan elastic-Huid turbine, the combinal tion of a casing, an internal shoulder thereon, a nozzle carried by the shoulder which is provided with a plurality of passages, and an an"- nular chamber formed in the shoulder which supplies the nozzle-passages.

l0. In an elastic-1i` `d turbine, the combination of two or more stages,.fa bucket-wheel inl each stage -compartment, an 4annular chamber which receives the exhaust from a wheel and keeps it outl of the inuence thereof, knozzles which discharge uid to a' wheel of lower pressure, and valves which control the passage of fluid from the annular chamber to the nozzles, the said valves being sensitive to variations in stage-pressure and arranged to present a greater larea when vopen than when closed to prevent chattering.

1l. .In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of two or more stages, a bucket-wheel in each stage compartment, an annular chamber which receives thev exhaust from a wheel vand keeps it out ofthe iniuence there-j of, nozzles which discharge-Huid to a wheel of lower ressure,A valves which control" the IIO passage o fluidfrom the annular chamber to present a greater area when open ,than when closed to prevent chattering, and indicators which show the positions of the valves.,

1'2. In an elastic-luid turbine, the combination of a casing containing acom artment,

a wheel located therein', rows o .buckets mounted on the Wheel, intermediate buckets situated between -the rowsof Wheel-'bucksts,l a support for the intermediate buckets which zl is L-shaped in cross-section, and' bolts that pass throughthe support into the for hausting romIthe wheel, the vsaid chamber being provided .with segmental `AWalls the joints of Which register with those of the casing`s'o that they may be handled as a unit. 14. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a casing containing a compartment, a bucket-Wheel mounted therein, segmental Walls that form a receiving-chamber, a throat of relatively restricted area through which the exhaust from the Wheel passes into -the chamber, and a valve for controlling the passage of fluid from the chamber."

15. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination 'of a casing containing a compartment, bucket-Wheels mounted therein, lanlannular chamber communicating with the l.Wheelv compartment, andv segmental throats' for the chamber through which the exhaust from the Wheel passes, the said throats being angularly displaced.

16. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the' combi- 'the chamber to an auxiliary stag nation of a casing containing compartments, bucket-wheels mounted therein, an ann ar chamber, a throat or o ening throu l1 w 'ch the exhaust fro'm a W eel .enters chamber, main and auxiliary. stage-nozzles `which chamber, and a stage-valve which controls the passage of fluid to an auxiliary stage-nozare supplied with motive fluid from the In an'elastic-fluid turbine, the combi- I nation of a casing containing compartments,

A bucket-wheels mounted' therein,'-an annular chamber, a throat or o ening through which the exhaust from a 'W eel enters the chamber, main and auxiliary stagenozzles ,vvhicllr are supplied with motive fluid from the cham#- successively acting stage valves ber, and y that control the passage of'motiveniluid from e'no'z zle. i, 18. In an elasticfluid turbine, the combination 4 of separate stage-compartments, i abucket-wheel in each compartment,` a shoul* der, an annular chamber' in the yshoulder which receives the'exhaust frm apr w.' l

wheel and prevents it 'from affect thm moving parts, ribs extending across r the chamber to support one portion of the shoul. der, and ,an annular nozzle Whichy receives motive' 'uid .from the chamber and discharges it under predetermined velocity to the\adjacent Whse f l In* 'tness whereof I have hereunto set my Phand this 7th day of Jul' 1905.

, OSC R JUNGGREN. Witnesses:

. BENJAMIN' BHULL,

. HELEN Garmin..l 

